


we don't have to be modern

by glaeson (midheaven)



Series: we're made in simple forms [1]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/F, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, this is basically alex being emo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-03
Updated: 2016-11-03
Packaged: 2018-08-28 20:06:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8461210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/midheaven/pseuds/glaeson
Summary: Alex gets her soulmark at sixteen and no one is more freaked out than she is. Not even Eliza.
Because—holy shit, it says Maggie, and as far as she’s aware that’s a girl’s name and like, it’s not unheard of but she’s just never thought of herself that way, okay?





	

**Author's Note:**

> i've always wanted to dabble in the soulmate universe so i gave it a try w these two. hope i don't disappoint :'( title is from 'rotten' by the naked and famous' newest album, which everyone should listen to. un-beta'd, so all errors mine.

Alex gets her soulmark at sixteen and no one is more freaked out than she is. Not even Eliza.

 

Because—holy _shit_ , it says _Maggie_ , and as far as she’s aware that’s a girl’s name and like, it’s not unheard of but _she’s just never thought of herself that way, okay?_

 

So she starts wearing sweaters in the middle of June because her soulmate’s name being glaringly visible on her forearm is just not something she’s equipped to deal with. The mark itches like a bitch, though; like it’s reminding Alex that it’s—unfortunately—very real. No matter how hard she tries to hide it.

 

-

 

It was smooth sailing throughout high school and college, but in her second year of med school Alex meets Margaret Young.

 

“You can call me Maggie,” she says, eyes soft. Alex clenches her fist and tries to breathe.

 

(It’s not that she _doesn’t_ want Margaret Young to be her soulmate. She’s beautiful, Alex’ll give her that; and smart, too if she’s this far in med school. They could also probably be kickass doctors together. Just—Alex isn’t _ready._ ) 

 

It’s after two weeks of panicking and internal crises that Alex finally gets a peek at Maggie’s shoulder as she’s taking off her coat and _right there_ , in chicken scratch handwriting, is the name _Chris._

 

Alex closes her eyes, exhales, and walks away.

 

-

 

A month later she’s accepted into the Department of Extranormal Operations. 

 

-

 

It’s not difficult for Alex to forget about Maggie again. In between being an _actual_ secret agent, trying to live a life outside it, and her sister being _Supergirl_ —‘soulmate’ tends to drop to the bottom of your list of priorities.

 

She’s heard that phrase about soulmates, though, the one that goes “They come when you least expect it,” but when she finds a cop messing around her crime scene—where an alien just tried to kill the _President_ —Alex could have really done with some better timing. 

 

She sees her name in what is no doubt her handwriting just sitting above the woman’s collarbone, and Alex already knows what the woman’s name is without her having to introduce herself. 

 

Alex asks, anyway. To avoid suspicion. “Who are you?”

 

The woman smirks. “Detective Maggie Sawyer, NCPD Science Division. We handle all cases involving aliens and things that go bump in the night.”

 

Alex then proceeds to thank every deity above that she was sensible enough to wear a jacket today, then goes back to trying to convince Mag—Sawyer to leave. Alex introduces herself. 

 

“Agent Danvers, Secret Service,” is all she says. 

 

 

-

 

Sawyer finds out Alex is DEO—she’s a damn good cop, Alex can give her that. She gives Sawyer her card. 

 

Just for the case.

 

-

 

Of all the places Sawyer leads her to, the last place Alex would expect is a fucking _dive bar._

 

“Things aren’t always what they appear, Danvers,” Sawyer tells her. “Look around. What do you see?” 

 

“People who have made questionable life choices.”

 

“Look closer.”

 

And so Alex does and—okay. She counts one, two, three aliens. She goes with her instincts and reaches for her gun.

 

Sawyer’s on her in an instant, though. “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” she whispers to Alex. “Easy, _easy._ ”

 

But the last thing Alex can _do_ is take it easy, because Sawyer’s got her fingers wrapped around Alex’s soulmark, and it _burns_ at her touch. 

 

All Alex can do is hope that Sawyer doesn’t feel the heat through her jacket. 

 

-

 

Sawyer’s _dated._

 

Maybe Alex is just being overly conservative, but this woman just can’t stop surprising her. 

 

Like, soulmarks usually appear within the ages of thirteen to sixteen, which are relatively young ages to even _start_ dating in the first place, so it just became a weird, unspoken rule: wait for your goddamn soulmate.

 

Maybe it doesn’t count if she’s dated an alien—they don’t have soulmarks like humans do, so maybe Alex shouldn’t find it quite as shocking.

 

Then again, Sawyer grew up a non-white, non-straight woman in Blue Springs, Nebraska. Alex thinks some rules don’t really apply to her.

Her curiosity gets the better of her, though. “You waiting for your soulmate?” she asks, and Sawyer’s soulmark is suddenly the only thing Alex can look at.

 

“I am,” Sawyer replies, “but I’m not _saving_ myself for them.”

 

Alex takes another sip of her beer and swallows the lump in her throat. “Okay.”

 

-

 

The day of the signing of the Alien Amnesty Act arrives, and though they’ve caught their main suspect, the DEO still decides to keep a lookout.

 

Of course, the NCPD Science Division does, too.

 

(Alex wonders if this is the fate that comes along with being meant for someone. It’s either that, or today just happens to be a very unfortunate coincidence.)

 

-

 

Sawyer gets kidnapped, because _of course she does._

 

And Alex doesn’t know what _drives_ her to just walk into the bar and beat up that alien like it’s nobody’s business, but not knowing where Sawyer is just makes Alex feel like her entire world is going to collapse.

 

When she looks at what she’s done, the poor guy wheezing on the floor, she wants to throw her face in her hands, because _when did she start feeling this way?_

 

The bartender tells her all she needs, though, so she throws the stool to the side and walks away.

 

-

 

Kara and her find Sawyer tied up, but relatively okay.

 

It’s a good thing that Supergirl makes one hell of a distraction, because it leaves Alex to help out Sawyer while Scorch would be a bit preoccupied with Kara.

 

“Thanks, Danvers,” Sawyer says, voice hoarse. “Owe you one.”

 

“You can pay me back by staying alive,” Alex says, and she nods. “Can you walk?”

 

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s beat this son of a bitch.”

 

-

 

Later, after Alex gambles on her own life and Sawyer takes out an alien with a steel pole, they get fixed up at the DEO.

 

Sawyer’s flailing about how cool their headquarters are, and Alex informs her of her injuries. “You’re gonna be fine,” she says.

 

“Gee, I didn’t think you cared,” Sawyer says, smile on her face, and something _tugs_ at Alex.

 

Sawyer’s got her hair down and her jacket off and she’s _alive,_ and Alex thinks she’s beautiful, her name on Sawyer’s skin, clear as day.

 

(Well, of course Alex would find her beautiful, they’re _soulmates_ , but when her parents would talk about what it would feel like to see the person whose name is tattooed on you, Alex didn’t expect _this._

 

Like the universe paled in comparison.

 

Maybe hiding her soulmark wasn’t Alex’s best idea.)

 

Alex scoffs, tries to play it as cool as she can. “Yeah, well—”

 

“I’m just kidding,” Sawyer says. “I owe you big, you saved my life.”

 

“Happy to,” Alex replies, and she’s not just being polite.

 

“You know,” Sawyer tells her, “I’m not good with partners, but we made a pretty good team.”

 

Alex rolls her eyes. “Yeah, I guess we did.”

 

When Sawyer tries to get on her feet, Alex tries to stop her, tries to tell her to get some rest, tries ti make her stay—but she’s not having any of it.

 

“What, you got a hot date or something?” Alex asks, tries to lighten the mood.

 

“Actually, I do,” Sawyer answers, putting her jacket back on, hiding Alex’s name from view. “And I don’t want to leave the lady waiting, so.”

 

Alex nods, bottling up the disappointment. 

 

“See you around, Danvers.”

 

And as Alex watches her walk away, trying to blink back the heat in her eyes, she’s starting to think that keeping her soulmark a secret would probably be the best decision for both of them.

 

-

 

The next time they work a case together, they’re already finishing each other’s sentences.

 

She doesn’t miss the odd look they get from Kara, though. “Well, seems like you two have got it handled.”

 

Alex feels like she could do this for the rest of her life, though—and she doesn’t know if that’s a good or a bad thing.

 

-

 

When Sawyer calls Alex to tell her that she has a lead after the failed attempt to apprehend their first suspect earlier (and that she should _wear something nice)_ , the next thing Alex does is call Kara.

 

“I need your help,” Alex says.

 

“Why? Are you in any trouble? I’m at work but I can leave for a bit—”

 

“No, not too much trouble. But can you meet me at my place in twenty?”

 

“On it. Love you, bye,” Kara says, and the line goes dead.

 

An hour and five dresses later, Kara finally breaks. Alex knows that she’s been dying to ask. “What’s up with you and that detective? Why are you freaking out about this?”

 

And if there’s one thing Alex has learned from all of this, it’s that it’s a bad idea to lie to her sister. So. She breathes in, deep. “Her name is Maggie Sawyer, Kara.”

 

Kara’s eyes go wide. “Maggie Sawy—oh. _Oh._ Maggie. That’s why you two are—oh. Oh, my God, Alex, does she know?”

 

Alex looks down at her now exposed forearm, the name marked there. “She doesn’t.” 

 

“Alex,” Kara warns.

 

“I know,” Alex sighs. “It’s—we both work very dangerous jobs, Kara. One of us could die any second. Besides, I don’t think she’s very interested in this whole soulmate idea—or me, for that matter.”

 

Kara crosses her arms and furrows her eyebrows. “Does she not like girls? Because, I mean, that could totally happen, because you have a unisex name, and maybe she just automatically assumed that you were a guy when she got her soulmark, and—”

 

Alex holds up a finger. “Trust me, Kara. She’s not into men.”

 

“Then what’s the problem?”

 

“I think she’s not into me, either.”

 

Kara gapes at her. “Oh. _Oh._ ”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Well, let’s see what we can do to fix that.”

 

Her sister picks out quite a lovely dress, does her hair in nice, soft waves, and chooses a pair of shoes. “Almost done,” Kara says. “Just need a little something for your face.”

 

She reaches for Alex’s makeup, but Alex grabs her hand to stop her.

 

“My soulmark. Lots of concealer.”

 

Kara sighs. “Alex.”

 

“Not yet, Kara,” Alex tells her. She exhales. “I can’t. Not yet.”

 

Her sister nods, and slowly, the only sign that Maggie Sawyer is the love of her life fades away.

 

-

 

Maggie Sawyer looks _stunning_ in a dress. Which is really something Alex shouldn’t really be surprised by, but she still is. 

 

“You clean up nice,” Sawyer says.

 

“I do?” Alex asks. “Well, you do, too, with the shoes and the hair and all the . . .”

 

The best Alex can do is randomly gesticulate at the air in front of her and try not to die from sheer embarrassment. (Okay, honestly—who _says that?_ ) 

 

Sawyer chuckles. “Not all business.”

 

“But this is, right?” Alex asks. “I mean, what are we doing here?”

 

“Wait for it. Here,” Sawyer says, handing Alex a mask.

 

She hands Alex the mask, and _grabs her hand._

 

Alex looks down at where their fingers are joined, locked together. She stumbles in her walking for a bit; her soulmark burns again. 

 

Thing is: she doesn’t want to let go.

 

-

 

They find out soon enough what they walked into. 

 

“National City’s got itself an underground alien fight club,” Sawyer says.

 

_Jesus Christ_ , Alex just thinks. _The DEO’s gonna have a field day with this._

 

-

 

“Alex, you’ve _got_ to tell her.”

 

“Kara, can we _please_ not have this conversation right now?”

 

“We just took down an alien underground fighting ring! We can have any conversation we want!”

 

“I told you, I’m not ready.”

 

“You don’t have to tell her that you want to be with her forever! Just, you know, tell her that ‘Hey, that’s my name on your skin, and—oh! Would you look at that. Your name’s on my arm. We’re soulmates.’”

 

“How do you think that conversation’s gonna go?”

 

“Well enough. If you deal with it like mature adults—which, by the way, you’re not doing very well, Alex.”

 

“Ugh. Okay, I will.”

 

“Go easy on her, though. Invite her for drinks, first.”

 

“Kara—”

 

“Sorry, sorry. I had to try.”

 

-

 

Seeing Veronica Sinclair go free is honestly a sight that makes Alex sick to her stomach.

 

And by the look on Sawyer’s face, she probably doesn’t enjoy this whole thing, too. “Should’ve planted something on her,” she tells Alex. “Sometimes I wish I wasn’t such a good cop.”

 

“I think you’re a _great_ cop,” Alex replies. 

 

Sawyer _smiles,_ and there’s a pull, just behind Alex’s ribs that she can’t quite place. “You gettin’ soft on me?” Sawyer asks.

 

Alex scoffs, tries to play it cool. Again. “ _No_.”

 

All Sawyer does is nod with a look on her face like she can’t _believe_ Alex—and frankly, Alex can’t believe what she’s about to do, either. So. Here goes.

 

(If this doesn’t go well, she probably won’t listen to what Kara tells her. Like, ever again.)

 

“Look, I know in crappy moments like this, I could use a drink, so what do you say? First round’s on me.”

 

But then Sawyer gives her a _look_ and Alex already feels the sting of rejection without her having to open her mouth. “Aw, can’t.” She turns her head. “Hey, babe.”

 

Sawyer’s _very human_ girlfriend arrives, kissing her as a greeting. Of course she’s tall and blonde and breathtaking.

 

Alex reminds herself to breathe. She can barely make out the beginning of her name above Sawyer’s collarbone.

 

“Next time?” Sawyer asks.

 

Alex inhales. “Yes. Next time, yeah.” She puts on a smile that’s too wide to be anything real.

 

Yeah, she’s never gonna listen to Kara again.

 

-

 

“What do you mean _she has a girlfriend?_ ”

 

“It means exactly that, Kara. She has a girlfriend.”

 

Alex takes another sip of her beer, then slams it down on the table in front of her. Kara sighs and sits down beside her.

 

“It’s gonna be okay, Alex.” Kara places her hand on Alex’s back, reassuring. “You guys are meant to be or something, right?”

 

“Or something,” Alex murmurs.

 

“God, I shouldn’t have told you to invite her for drinks.” Kara says, apologetic. “Sorry.”

 

“S’okay,” Alex replies. “You meant well.”

 

“Still, I—”

 

“I don’t even know why I’m upset, Kara.” Alex tells her. “It’s okay. You don’t have to be sorry.”

 

Kara takes hold of both of Alex’s hands, looks her dead in the eye. “You have every right to be upset, Alex. Your soulmate is in love with someone else—that can really, _really_ hurt.”

 

Alex frowns. “What would you know? You’re Kryptonian, you don’t have to deal with all this crap.”

 

Kara opens her mouth like she has something to say but stays quiet, flinches away from Alex like she’s been burnt. Alex regrets it immediately.

 

“Kar—Kara. Hey, look, I’m sorry, it’s just been a rough day.”

 

Her sister stays quiet, but nods. Alex sees her lick her lips. “I’ll go, then. I still have to finish my report. I hope everything is better in the morning, Alex. Good night.”

 

“Night, Kara. Love you.”

 

“Love you, too,” Kara says, giving Alex a kiss on the forehead. “Sleep well.”

 

“I’ll try,” Alex answers, giving her sister a wry smile.

 

The door shuts a few seconds after and just like that, Alex is alone.

 

-

 

It’s not until she hears her phone ring that Alex realises she’s fallen asleep on her couch. She checks the time. _3:37 am._

 

“Hello?” she mumbles, not bothering to check the Caller ID.

 

“Hey, Danvers. Did I wake you?” _Sawyer._

 

“Yeah. Can you call again in the morning? I’m way too exhausted to talk right now,” Alex says.

 

“Like you’ll answer if I call you in the morning,” Sawyer counters. Alex is too sleepy to make anything of it. “Text me your address? I need to tell you something.”

 

Alex pauses, considering. “Fine,” she eventually says. “Hold on.”

 

Three minutes and several attempts to coherently type her message later, Sawyer replies with an _on my way! ;)_ , and Alex decides to go back to sleep.

 

Which was not a good idea, because her doorbell ringing is making her head throb and now she has to get up. _Again._

 

Sawyer appears at her door _beaming_ like it’s not the ass crack of dawn right now. She holds up a paper bag. “I brought a peace offering.”

 

Alex rubs her eyes. “What are they?” she asks, groggy.

 

Sawyer doesn’t respond, just stares at Alex like she’s seen a ghost. Alex immediately gets defensive. “I know I look like crap, okay, but to be fair, you woke me up at this ungodly hour, so . . .”

 

Alex decides to follow Sawyer’s line of sight, and— _no._

 

_No, no, no, no, no._

 

Alex is in a tank top. With no concealer on. _Shit._

 

Her soulmark is visible, right _there._

 

Sawyer just saw her fucking soulmark. 

 

Her stomach sinks.

 

_No._

 

“Danvers, that’s—that’s my name,” Sawyer says. 

 

Alex rubs her face. “Yeah. It is.”

 

“Well,” Sawyer says, entering Alex’s apartment and setting the paper bag down on her kitchen counter. “ _That_ confirms my suspicions.”

 

Alex frowns. “What does that mean? You _knew_?”

 

Sawyer shrugs. “Pretty much from the beginning, yeah.”

 

“How?” Alex asks, incredulous. 

 

“I’m a detective, Agent Danvers,” Sawyer answers, smug. “I detect.”

 

“Oh, God,” Alex says, annoyed. “ _How?_ ”

 

“You showed me your fucking _badge,_ Danvers. Do you think just because you never told me your first name I didn’t know it was _Alexandra?_ And don’t get me started with how many times you’ve looked at _this_ ,” Sawyer says, pointing to the spot above her collarbone where Alex’s name is. “For a secret agent, you’re not very stealthy.”

 

“Oh, shut up.”

 

“You asked me about soulmates at the bar, you looked like you couldn’t _breathe_ when we were together at Sinclair’s event earlier,” Sawyer points out. “You’re pretty obvious.”

 

Alex puts up her hands. “Oh, okay, like I’m the _only_ one to blame here. You have a girlfriend, it’s not like I could do anything,” Alex says.

 

“Had.”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“ _Had_ a girlfriend,” Sawyer clarifies. “I just broke up with her.”

 

“ _Broke up_ —why?”

 

Sawyer takes a step closer and hums. “I told her there was someone else.”

 

Alex thinks it’s _ridiculous_ how loud her pulse is thrumming as Sawyer moves in. “She must have been pretty upset about it.”

 

“A bit. But she gets it,” Sawyer says, and she’s so near that Alex swears they’re breathing the same air. “So are you gonna kiss me, Danvers? Because this position is totally awkward if you’re not.”

 

Alex chuckles. “You’re so weird,” she whispers, but she closes the distance.

 

Saw— _Maggie_ kisses back, lips soft and eager, and it’s nothing like what they say; it doesn’t feel like fireworks, or sparks flying, or explosions behind her eyelids.

 

Kissing Maggie feels like coming home.

 

They kiss for hours, or minutes, or centuries—Alex doesn’t really know. But they pull apart eventually, chests heaving and hearts pounding. 

 

“What did you come over to tell me?” Alex asks, and Maggie just chuckles in reply.

 

“I think that can wait ‘til tomorrow,” she answers, then kisses Alex again, and— 

 

Yeah, it can wait.

 

After all, they’ve got the whole of forever to go.

**Author's Note:**

> look !!! i honestly can't believe these two sometimes and ok i've been watching supergirl since the pilot and i didn't expect this !!!! i can't Believe.
> 
> anyways u can hmu @ glaeson.tumblr.com if u wanna cry abt them w me


End file.
